Auto Racing: Brode sweeps two races for mom

Defending NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modified champion Howie Brode of East Islip is starting to hit his stride at Riverhead Raceway. Brode swept the Twin 30 feature events on Saturday night for his second and third wins of the young season, leaving him just two points behind the points leader, Ryan Preece of Berlin, Conn. The two wins give Brode at 18 career victories.

Tom Rogers Jr. of Riverhead was second and Preece third in the first 30-lapper.

In the second race, Preece was second and Rogers was third.

Jason Agugliaro of Islip and Dave Sapienza of Riverhead rounded out the top five in the first 30, while Eddie Brunnhoelzl III of Levittown and Agugliaro were fourth and fifth in the second 30.

After the second race, Brode emotionally dedicated the victory to his mother, who recently underwent triple bypass surgery. “Mom hasn’t been feeling too well so this one is for her,” he said.

For the 48th time in his illustrious Riverhead Raceway Late Model career, Peter Eriksen of Baldwin was a feature event winner, topping the field in a 25-lap event.

Jeremy McDermott of Riverhead, the defending Late Model champion, was the runner-up. Chris LaSpisa of Shirley quietly made his was from a seventh starting position to come home third.

The Blunderbusts saw Jimmy White Jr. of Southampton scoring his second straight win of 2014 in a 20-lap feature event. Jack Handley Jr. of Medford made a white-flag lap pass for second on his 18th birthday while Tom Pickerell of Huntington settled for third.

After the race, White waved off the victory lap since his car started overheating late in the race with the temperature reaching 280 degrees.

In a 30-lap Super Pro Trucks event, 16-year-old Mark Stewart race off to his second straight win and sixth career triumph. Mike Albasini of Flushing drove in second, and Lou Maestri of Deer Park claimed third.

Brad Van Houten of Wading River rewarded his car owners, Russell and Cathy Goodale, for their off-season investment of a new Legend Race Car by winning a 20-lap feature. Van Houten, who badly wrecked a car last year, raced off for his second career win in the class. Kyle Soper of Manorville was second. Richie Davidowitz of East Moriches took third.

Steve Trimboli of Freeport reclaimed the Four/Six-Cylinder Car Enduro lead a third of the way through the race before scoring his first victory of the season.

Peter Verwys Jr. of East Rockaway, coming off a pair of wins, was second, with Brandon Esposito of Farmingville third.

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